FC Hartlepool boss Hill warns his side about fired-up Boldon
The two sides met at Grayfields in a Durham Trophy tie last weekend and Hartlepool were in
impressive form as they seized control of the game thanks to goals from Jamie Tumilty and Lewis
Porritt.
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Hide AdBoldon hit back midway through the second-half when Wearside League top goalscorer Levi Collins
fired home – but that was as good as it got for the South Tyneside outfit as Hill’s side held on to
claim a fine win.
There will be a quick reunion this weekend when Boldon return to Grayfields for an Alan Hood
Charity Cup group stage tie and Hill is wary of the considerable threat that they will offer.
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Hide Ad“Boldon don’t get beat often and what happened last week will have hurt them,” explained Hill.
“The lads were excellent, and they have come back in great shape which is a credit to them.
“But we are expecting them (Boldon) to come firing on Saturday and we have to make sure we are
ready for that.
“We are looking forward to building on last week’s result and performance and the lads should be
confident in their abilities.”
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Hide AdHill will have several big decisions to make before he names his starting lineup for Saturday’s game.
Midfielder Rob Hammond picked up a knock in last Saturday’s meeting of the two sides – but he is
expected to be the only absentee from an otherwise full-strength Hartlepool squad.
Boldon boss David Crumbie has confirmed Craig Waddell, Chris Foster (both work commitments), Chris Feasey
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Hide Ad(knee), Kieran Graham (groin) and Jonathan Wightman (unavailable) are all absent.
His pre-match concerns were heightened further with the news that Alex McBeth has been ruled out
for six weeks with a shoulder injury and forward Stephen Ramsey will not play again this season with
a broken leg.
To compound Crumbie’s issues, he will also have to take a late check on the fitness of Aaron
Williams after he sustained a groin injury.
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Hide AdDespite an ever-growing list of absentees, the Boldon manager is determined to “put things right”
after the defeat his side suffered at Grayfields less than a week ago.
He said “We are looking forward to getting another game under our belt.
“We were disappointed, but the lads have only been beaten twice over the season, so I can’t
complain too much.
“Saturday is now a good chance for us to try and put things right that didn’t work for us last
weekend.”